McDonald Observatory was a Stop on my way from Austin Texas to
Big Bend National Park, Stayed over night at a campground in
Marfa Texas which was less than hours drive from the Observatory.
McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. The observatory is part of the University of Texas at Austin and is located 450 miles west of the university. with infrequent cloud cover the Observatory is home to some of the darkest skies in the United States of America.
McDonald Observatory, the name has nothing to do with McDonald fast food chain. It was a different McDonald that provided the initial funding. Observatory is open to daily Tours, got there at 10:30 AM and bought my tickets for the tour which started at 11AM.
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| Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory |
Was there in December, Winter is generally the best time for stargazing. Winter air is less humid, where as summers have extra moisture and can reduce the clarity of the night skies.
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| Davis Mountains, West Texas |
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| Mount Fowlkes, Davis Mountains, West Texas |
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| Harlan J. Smith Telescope |
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| Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) is one of the world's largest optical telescopes |
Star Parties are held every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evening.
That was really a great trip. I've heard and read about this McDonald Observatory a number of times. I think it's a great place to visit. Will be there once I have my way. Thanks for sharing.
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